«Today’s Lyrics Are Pathetically Bad» Rick Beato

Secret Sisters are really good. How to classify them may take some thinkin'.

Going back a few years ago, I remember hearing He's Fine on the radio a few times so I bought the CD for that song.  I cannot say that, for me personally, anything except that song really grabbed me.  I'll have to give it another listen.

@ghastley: I take it then that you haven’t heard T Bone’s latest album The Other Side. If you go way back to his first solo album from 1972 (entitled J. Henry Burnett, The B-52 Band & The Fabulous Skylarks) you will find a song written by T Bone entitled "I Don’t Mind No Light Sermon". In between those two albums, his others include lyrics with spiritual references, just as do Dylan’s. And just as do his albums as a member of the trio known as The Alpha Band, with David Mansfield and Steven Soles.

But remember, I said T Bone "came out of the Contemporary Christian community." That doesn’t necessarily mean he recorded and released any album in that format/genre. T Bone was a member of a famous church in Southern California (I don’t recall it’s name), where Dylan also went to study the Bible.

T Bone’s ex-wife Sam Phillips also started as a Contemporary Christian artist, then going by the name Leslie Phillips. I have her four CC solo albums (all on Myrrth Records, the last---The Turning---produced by T Bone) on CD. T Bone and Sam met as a result of their Christian activities, as did Buddy and Julie Miller. Julie also had some solo albums put out as a CC artist, which I also have on CD.

@immatthewj

I appreciate your thoughtful reflections.

FYI, I was pointing out a potential "blind spot" regarding how we assess lyrics, not asserting you or anyone else necessarily falls prey to it. I can’t know that, obviously! I do notice it in myself.

You bring up many interesting and complex points that could be delved into at great depth.

Songs can and do operate at many different levels. Each of us may have our preferences regarding which levels we find most engaging. You bring up imagery. Images can indeed be very powerful; without referring to specific details they can nevertheless invoke/evoke complex responses/reactions. The image "carries us" deep into ourselves and we "fill in the picture" based upon our own experiences and imagination. Its non-specificity is what leaves room for us to interact with it.

On the other hand, there is writing that satisfies/engages through its specificity. It paints a vivid picture and we take it in as if we are a blank canvas that "soaks up" all the finely delineated detail.

Dylan has written tunes across a very broad stylistic spectrum, from "journalistic" to cryptic and many points between. I find it very difficult to generalize about his work.

 I would agree with probably everything you typed in that post. However, I would point out that you should have addressed that post/reply to @ezwind instead of me. Not that I took offense or anything, just that the post that you were responding to was made by @ezwind .

Doh!  Sorry about that. This can happen with long threads, involving many participants! 

@bdp24 Spiritual yes, thumper no. Unlikely you would ever hear T Bone Burnett describe himself as “contemporary….”

Beato also opines that there is no actual artistic engagement in mainstream pop/rock/country. It's formulaic and worse closed to "outsiders".  In that light i think he's right.

Take "Rich Men North Of Richmond" for example. 100% off the reservation, no producer, no label, no major national "drop" and it slipped through- and was wildly successful. Arguably the lyrics are simple yet clever, and the performance is authentic. It was refreshing. 

I blame the conglomerate music industry for the crap being produced and aired today.  For sure there are excellent musicians and brilliant lyrics being made today- but they are not easily accessible.